In a game the Jets needed to win, Gang Green laid a giant green egg. In what was probably their most winnable game of their final three weeks, the Jets couldn’t find a way to beat the Falcons. The Falcons scored a touchdown with 1:38 left in the game to beat the Jets 10-7.

Seeing how the Jets performed as a whole against the Falcons, there was no way they would have beaten the undefeated Colts or AFC North leading Bengals the next two weeks. The Jets defense did their job like they have done just about every game this season. Their special teams missed opportunities to score points and their offense couldn’t find the end zone other than a long pass in the 1st qaurter. The Jets can’t expect their defense to hold teams to single digit points every week. Their offense can’t score in single digits and expect to win. It doesn’t work this way.

For all of you Jet fans who look at the standings and see the Jets at 7-7, tied with four other teams, save yourself the misery and realize it’s over. Realize it’s over not only because the Jets are low on the tie-breaker totem pole and would need a ton of other teams to lose games, but also because the Jets have to play the Colts and Bengals, both of whom are better than the team they lost to today.

As good as the Jets defense is, and they are tops in the NFL, the team can’t win when their offense and special teams don’t get the job done. For all of the people who are blaming Jay Feely for missing two field goals, they may want to take a look at their quarterback who was picked off three times in the game. Don’t only blame Feely. Also take a look at the holder Kellen Clemens who bobbled a snap that would have been a chip-shot for Feely.

The Jets have lost games this season in torcherous fashion. They’ve been a tough team to watch every week. The next two weeks don’t get any easier. I feel bad for the Mets/Jets fan. For the Yankees/Jets fan, just think… you got your title. Be happy.

David Harris picked off rookie Josh Freeman on the first play of the game and the defensive tone was set for the rest of the game. The Jets defense limited the Buccaneers to only 15 total yards in the first half and didn’t allow a first half first down. Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes also picked off the Buccaneers’ rookie signal caller in the fourth quarter. 

Jay Feely knocked in four field goals in the first half and Thomas Jones broke through for a 33-yard touchdown and the Jets led 19-0 at the half. A Thomas Jones touchdown run was their only offense in the second half and it was more than enough. The Jets would have most likely shut the Bucs out if linebacker Bart Scott wasn’t flagged for unnecessary roughness in the third quarter. The boneheaded play by Scott was after the Jets stopped the Bucs on a third down. The penalty gave the Bucs a first down and they converted a field goal a few plays later.

Kellen Clemens, starting in place of the injured Mark Sanchez, wasn’t great, but he didn’t turn the ball over and didn’t make any costly mistakes. 

At 7-6, the Jets will have to win their final three games and get some outside help to earn a playoff birth. New England (8-5) and Miami (7-6) both won and remain head of the Jets in the AFC East.

Arguably the NFL’s worst team, the Bucs host a Jets team that has won two in a row and have given up just one touchdown in those two games combined. The Jets defense will be able to hold down the Bucs. It’s the Jets offense and more specificly, Kellen Clemens, that has some people worried.

Kellen Clemens is set to start his first game since 2007. The Jets should be able to run the ball all over the Bucs allowing Clemens to not have to drop back more than 20 times. The Buccaneers have one of the worst run defenses in the league. Clemens hasn’t worked with the first team since training camp and this is the first week of practice he’s been throwing to Braylon Edwards, who was acquired from Cleveland during the season. 

Jet fans will worry until the final whistle blows Sunday afternoon, but they should be confident the Jets can win this one. The offensive line will make holes for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene to run through and Clemens will make plays when he has to. Jet fans can start worrying again on Monday if Rex Ryan says Sanchez can’t play in week 15 forcing Clemens to be the starter against the Falcons.

Sanchez sprained the PCL in his right knee diving for a first down in the third quarter of last Thursday night’s game against the Bills. He did not return to the game.

“Mark’s a little upset with this decision, but I think it’s in the best interest of him,” Rex Ryan told the Associated Press.

The Jets are 6-6, tied with the Dolphins, and one game behind the division leading Patriots.

The Jets missed some opportunities to put points on the board in the first quarter but luckily it didn’t come back to haunt them. Mark Sanchez missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone and a wide-open Braylon Edwards dropped a perfect pass from Sanchez that would have been an 84-yard touchdown. Instead of being up 14-3, the Jets and Bills were tied 3-3 after the first quarter. The way the Jets defense was playing all the offense needed to do was not turn the ball over and put Jay Feely in field goal range every time they got the ball. Feely converted four of four field goals and the Jets only touchdown came when Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards for a 13-yard touchdown with 0:44 seconds remaining in the first half.

Sanchez left the game in the third quarter with a right knee injury. Sanchez tweaked his knee while diving for a first down. He did not return to the game. Kellen Clemens replaced Sanchez and wasn’t asked to do much, although he made it interesting when he fumbled deep in the Jets’ territory but D’Brickashaw Ferguson jumped on the ball. The Jets kept the ball on the ground for the most part after Sanchez limped off. Thomas Jones ran for 109 yards on 23 carries and Shonn Greene ran for 59 yards on 11 carries. The Jets ran for 249 yards as a team. 

Defensively, on the opposite side of Revis, Lito Sheppard looked good shutting down whoever he was covering. Other than giving up a 38-yard catch to Lee Evans in the first quarter, Sheppard played just as good as Revis. The Bills threw for just 98 yards in the game and Ryan Fitzpatrick only completed 39.1% of his passes.

The Jets are 6-6 and need the Dolphins to beat the Patriots this weekend to be one game out of the division lead. The Jets have an extended week and travel to Tampa Bay to play the 1-10 Bucs next Sunday.

It was Sanchez’s job to lose since the Jets traded up to the fifth pick in order to select Sanchez in this year’s draft.  Neither quarterback was able to take a commanding lead in the competition and their preseason statistics were very similar.  Clemens spoke to the media a while after being told of the decision and said that he had a fair chance to win the job and just didn’t get it done. 

Sanchez addressed the media and said, “Great news, obviously. At the same time, I was appreciative of Kellen and he was the first one to talk to me after the meeting. A real standup guy. It takes a real standup guy to address you like that and he said, ‘Hey man, I’m happy for you.’ He said, ‘I’m behind you 100 percent and this is something great. Take it and run with it and we’ll be in this thing together. I’ll be your eyes on the sideline.’ And that was really special to me. That meant a lot.”